About The Publisher

Patrick Oden was born in Decatur, Alabama, but by age six he was living on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu.

Growing up in a military family wasn’t always easy, it meant a lot of moving, but taught him from a young age to be outgoing and adaptable. It also exposed him to much of the country and gave him invaluable insight into the larger world around him.

Patrick found himself in Satellite Beach, Florida, when he graduated high-school. Shortly after, his mother, an active duty Army major, retired and relocated, but Patrick remained in Florida.

For the next dozen years Patrick worked in the automotive industry, spending the bulk of that time as the finance manager of a local BMW dealership.

He knew that wasn’t ultimately the life he was meant to lead, and in 2006 decided to embark on the education that would allow him to successfully follow his dreams of being a photojournalist.

A little older and wiser than the average college student, Patrick pursued his interest and education with gusto.

In the four years he spent at Utah State University, Patrick served as the editor of the university’s newspaper, won several photography and design awards from the Utah Press Association, and even taught photojournalism classes before graduating with honors in 2010 with Bachelor Degrees in both print journalism and history, as well as receiving a minor in political science.

He knew there was still more to learn if he truly wanted to elevate his talents to the level of excellence and give himself the best shot of crafting the life he dreamed of.

Patrick researched graduate programs, and applied to only one, the top rated visual communication program in the country at Ohio University.

One of only 15 accepted to the rigorous program, Patrick spent the next two years studying editorial photography and publication design from the best in the business while working for the university’s marketing department as the university’s photographer and as photo editor of Southeast Ohio Magazine.

It was during this time Patrick realized it wasn’t the newspaper business he was drawn to, rather the slick glossy pages, beautiful color photography and long form storytelling offered by the magazine industry.

Specifically, the local lifestyle magazine genre.

Now with a clear understanding of his goals and the industry, Patrick took advantage of every opportunity he had to learn, expanding his studies to include web design and video production.

In 2012, as his younger classmates were embarking on careers with National Geographic, The Washington Post, New Your Times and other prestigious media outlets, Patrick chose to return to Alabama to spend time with his aging and ailing grandparents.

His dearly loved grandparents have all since passed away, but in 2013 Patrick found the home and roots he had been longing for in Guntersville.

Eager to engage the community, he sought out the publisher of Good Life Magazine and became a regular contributor to the publication, writing and photographing several pieces for each subsequent issue to date.

The stellar reputation he garnished for his in work Marshall County also led to his being contracted to produce Land+Lake Magazine for the Sand Mountain Reporter newspaper.

Over the course of the following two years, Patrick planned, designed, photographed, and wrote almost every article for Land+Lake Magazine, garnishing two Alabama Press Association awards for the new publication in the process.

During the same period, Patrick opened Oden Imaging in downtown Guntersville and has provided photography, publication design, and web design services to local entities such as Marshall Medical Centers, The City of Guntersville, and a host of local businesses.

Patrick sees his business as an opportunity to serve Guntersville and to champion the city he loves. Approaching every job as a chance to help his clients improve their image and presence in Guntersville and in doing so, helping to promote Guntersville collectively.

His dedication to Guntersville has extended well beyond his business. Two years ago, Patrick launched Marshall County Photography, a local arts group now boasting more than 600 members. He has served on the Board of Directors for Mountain Valley Arts Council, and presently serves on the Board of Directors and is actively involved in the Guntersville Lions Club.

Over the course of the past year, Patrick has slowly begun to work on what he hopes will be his legacy undertaking, a multi-platform media effort aimed at providing local residents with an authentic, approachable and complete venue for “All Things Guntersville,” while simultaneously promoting the City of Guntersville in the most complete and compelling manner to all its visitors.

For Guntersville business owners, this translates into a focused marketing effort designed to increase both traffic and revenue.

The past several years working with Land+Lake and Good Life Magazines have provided Patrick with the opportunity to evaluate the market and carefully study what works well and what doesn’t in the community. With this knowledge, he’s crafted what promises to be the most interactive, connective, and effective marketing vehicle for our unique and special city.

To ensure the success of this endeavor, Patrick is refocusing his efforts on his brand-new lifestyle publication, Lake City Magazine, and lakecityalabama.com, dedicating himself to the needs of the Guntersville businesses who will not only benefit most from it, but will ultimately make it possible.